Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Commander Granville Hamilton Wood, west coast of Africa, then North America and West Indies (whereupon Wood was court martialled for twice putting the vessel on the ground in the west indies)

A court-martial assembled on Monday morning, the 20th inst., on board Her Majesty's ship Impregnable, in Hamoaze, for the purpose of trying Commander Granville Hamilton Wood, of Her Majesty's sloop Hound, on two separate charges of getting that ship ashore.
The Court consisted of Admiral Superintendent Sir John Louis, Captain W.H. Johnstone, Her Majesty's ship Agincourt; Captain M'Dougall, Her Majesty's ship La Hogue; Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, Impregnable; and Captain George Greville Wellesley, of the Daedalus.
Mr. George Eastlake officiated as Judge-Advocate. Captain Wood defended himself.
The first charge was for that Commander Granville Hamilton Wood, when commander of Her Majesty's sloop Hound, did on the 30th day of August, 1848, while running along the south side of the island of Grand Cayman, through negligence and for want of care, run the said sloop upon the rocks, and did thereby hazard the said sloop.
By the evidence of First lieutenant Hallett, Second Lieutenant W.T. Stanbridge, Mr. Lowe (the master), and F.W. Borne, A.B., it appeared that said sloop left Port Royal, Jamaica, on the 28th of August, 1848, bound to Havannah; and that on the 30th of August, at a quarter to 5 o'clock in the afternoon, wind easterly, ship steering west by south, at the rate of about five knots, under all plain sail except royals and mainsail, she grounded on a reef a quarter of a mile from the shore of the Grand Cayman. Commander Wood, who was in charge, had had the helm put hard a starboard five minutes previously, and the starboard braces being manned when she struck, the vessel was soon hauled off into seven fathoms water.
Lieutenant Hallott was not on deck at the time. Mr. Noddy, a midshipman, was the officer; he had not passed his examination. There was no second-master's mate or master's-assistant on board. The senior midshipman was removed to keep the watch of the master, who was sick; when witness left the deck, at 10 minutes to 4 o'clock, Point Pedro was abaft the cathead. He believes that the reason the vessel ran ashore was because Commander Wood wished to enter a bay on the other side of Point Pedro to catch turtle for the crew, who were weak and sickly. The course she was steering when he went below would have taken her quite clear of danger unless a current existed.
Lieutenant Stanbridge stated, that the ship struck three times before he could reach the deck. The course, west by south, must have been altered after he gave up charge, or she would not have run ashore. The master advised her being hauled out half a point south.
Mr. Lowe, the master, deposed that when he came on deck after the ship struck he thought that if his advice had been observed the accident would not have occurred. The currents near the Grand Cayman are very uncertain.
All the witnesses were questioned at some length as to whether the anchors were ready to let go or not; the testimony on this point was very conflicting.
The second charge was- "For that Commander Granville Hamilton Wood, when commander of Her Majesty's stoop Hound, did, on the 3d of September, 1848, while running into the Havannah, through negligence and for want of care, ran the said sloop upon the rocks, and did thereby hazard the said sloop."
Lieutenant Hallett proved that after leaving the Grand Cayman, the sloop, having no pilot, was taken into Havannah on the 3d of September, 1848, at a quarter after 3 o'clock, when she grazed the ground. She was in the personal charge of Commander Wood: two leads going in the fore chains, and hands ready to shorten sail. Witness did not think the ship was too close. When she touched, the soundings were 4½ port side, and 3 or 3½ starboard; the brig's draught is 11 feet. On a subsequent occasion, when off Havannah, saw several vessels get ashore at the entrance. Witness was the only officer of the ship who had been in the port before, and that was when a boy.
Mr. Lowe said, that the wind was E.N.E. The entrance is about two cables' length wide; the ship went on the weather shore. Never saw a pilot, and if hailed, it would be dangerous to heave to in the narrows. When waiting for a slant of wind, has seen two vessels ashore at a time, one on either side.
The Court adjourned at 4 o'clock on Monday, and reassembled at 9 on Tuesday to hear the defence, In which Commander Wood pleaded the length of time since the occurrence as one cause of difficulty in clearing himself. From the fact of the vessel they relieved (the Pantaloon) having lost 16 hands by fever, and the crew of his own ship having been on the coast of Africa the previous 18 months on salt provisions, and as his sailing orders did not enjoin a special haste, and the Grand Cayman lay in a direct line, he felt justified in touching at that island to procure fresh provisions. With regard to his having no leadsman, it would be seen by reference to the sailing directions that there were no soundings close to the shore, and that it would be no use to heave the lead till Point Pedro was observed, and he had learnt from an intelligent American pilot that there was no danger off that point. He could assure the Court that the striking was a mere trifle. The course was never altered, but there was a very strong current over the reef. The plan of the Grand Cayman supplied to him bore date 1796, and was incorrect, for immediately the ship struck he requested the master to fix her position. With regard to her touching at Savannah, the sailing directions stated vessels might pass close under the Morro; they did so, and just grazed on the clay and shell bottom, which he had subsequently learnt from the Consul-General was a most frequent occurrence. Three parts of the time the ship had been in commission he had, from the ill-health of his officers, been obliged to do their duty as well as his own.
The Count declared that they considered the first charge proved, and the second charge proved in part, and that they adjudged Commander Wood to lose one year's rank as Commander, to be admonished to be more careful in future and to be reprimanded.